Friday, June 17

Over dinner, BK and I decided that we would hike La Cumbre the following day. Given my horrific night of chills, sweats, aches and runs, I really doubted that I would be able to make it. Nevertheless, I convinced myself that my brain was stronger than my large intestine. I willed myself out of bed at 7:45, quickly got my things together and forced down some pancakes despite the general nausea whenever I put anything in my mouth. BK arrived at 8:30 and we were on our way via taxi (Bs80).

La Cumbre is a beautiful area in which to hike. There are accessible lakes and bogs assuming you have the lungs and will to walk uphill at 4800 meters (15,000'). BK were both in much better conditioning for this type of hike and I often lagged far behind, reminding myself of the time when I ran up Mt. Saint Helens and Mt. Ranier. Of course, neither were at nearly the same height, this by far the highest I had ever been outside an airplane.

Laguna, La Cumbre, Bolivia

This has to easily be one of the most beautiful and inspiring places I have birded. It is quite obvious that you are hiking in an unique environment. While the number of species is fairly small, it is impressive that so much lives in such a barren, yet beautiful setting.

The first two lagunas offered Andean gull, Giant Coot, White-winged Diuca Finch, White-winged Cinclodes, Crested Duck, Andean Goose, Andean Swallow and Silvery Grebe. Following the jeep track around the back side of the laguna toward the crest of the mountain behind it, I located a pair of Rufous-bellied Seedsnipes. The bogs at the back end of the second laguna yielded Puna Ground-Tyrant. Waiting for a bus to take us back to La Paz, I spotted a Red Shoveler, Cinereous Ground-Tyrant, and Spectacled Teal.

White-winged Duica Finch

Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe

Andean Goose

The wait for a ride was much shorter than in Miguelito, as a bus to La Paz stopped to let us on. There were more passengers than seats, but the problem was made infinitely worse by two women who sat at the top step. Despite acres of space in the aisle to stand, they clogged up the works, leaving the three of us to perch on whatever chunk of space we could manage in the stairway. An uncomfortable ride eventually brought us to El Alto, where we took a taxi to the terminal.

At this point, all I wanted was a siesta. My body hurt and I was starting to feel ill. But, BK are both doctors and had been researching my illness in their spare time. They offered to take me to a pharmacy to see if a different medication from the one prescribed back in the States would do the trick. While I was exhausted and grumpy, I knew this option was better in the long run. The amazing thing about Bolivian pharmacies is: you don't need a prescription. We just sauntered in, asked for Titidazol and the pharmacist handed it to us. And I was able to buy hospital strength Ibuprofen on the spot. All this for less than $7. Just holding the boxes of medicine had a palliative effect and I readily agreed to lunch at Subway. The ibuprofen has already taken care of the headache and joint/muscle pain. Lets hope the antiprotozoan also has the desired effect.

Bird tally: 10 new, 10 lifers

Thursday, June 16

I woke up and was in a taxi by 7am. There was some confusion about which Mecapaca I wanted, which led the taxi fare to jump from Bs20 to Bs100. I could have caught a trufi from the first Mecapaca, but I have followed the pattern of taxi out, public transport back so as not to lose time in the morning. Arriving in the main square, I continued walking the main road along the hillside, coming across Tufted Tit-Tyrant, Rufous-naped Ground Tyrant, White-winged Black Tyrant, White-tipped Plantcutter, Blue-capped Violetear, Giant Hummingbird and Red-tailed Comet. Turning towards the river, I found Blue-and-white Swallow, Bar-winged Cinclodes, Picui-Ground Dove, Roadside Hawk, Andean Gull, Andean Lapwing, Puna Ibis, Mountain Caracara, and Picazuro Pigeon. 

Andean Lapwing

While I birded through the plots of land neatly arranged in squares along the river plain, the locals went about the daily necessities of rural agriculture: breaking up hardened soil with pick-axes, hacking at reeds to feed the cattle, and communing in small groups for lunch-time tea surrounded by potato plants in full bloom.

Tea break, Mecapaca

Working my way through these potato patches and reedbeds, I saw Common Moorhen and Plumbeous Rail. I explored the area around some abandoned buidlings, finding American Kestrels, White-tailed Plantcutter, Cinereous Ground-Tyrant, Brown-backed Mockingbird, Saffron-billed Saltator, Grey-headed Parakeet, Ash-breasted Sierra Finch and Greenish Yellow Finch. There was scrub and trees to the left of a tin-roofed house, which was the best area of the day, producing Bolivian Earthcreeper in addition to a male White-winged Black Tyrant, Brown-backed Mockingbird, White-tipped Plantcutter, Blue-and-yellow Tanager, and Spot-winged Dove.

Plumbeous Rail

Bolivian Earthcreeper

I enjoyed a bowl of soup at a small restaurant in the main square of Mecapaca, but did not have an appetite for the chicken, potatoes and beans that followed. I swallowed some of each to be polite then caught the trufi (235, Bs4.50) back to La Paz. I met BK for dinner at a French restaurant (La Comedie), but my health quickly deteriorated over the course of the meal. The soup was quite good, the ceviche mediocre and the potato gratin maybe the most disgusting thing I have eating in Bolivia. It was essentially 2 sliced potatoes drenched in 3 sticks of butter. I returned to the hostel with my muscles and joints aching, my stomach churning and my whole body shivering. Truly, one of the most miserable nights I have endured.

Bird tally: 9 new, 9 lifers 

Wednesday, June 15

The ride to La Paz was a spectacular as a night bus could be. The moon was nearly full, illuminating the landscape with a bluish haze that was reflected skyward by the arid Andean mountains. It was as if we were driving on the moon, past deep valleys that were scooped from earth by the hands of giants.

Unfortunately, we arrived sooner than planned, which translates into dark and cold. Both Ben and I had gotten the impression that La Paz was less than safe at night, so we dawdled in the terminal for a bit until the sky started to lighten. I headed off to a hostel I had seen, but when I arrived they said no room was available. I ended up taking a cab back to the bus terminal to try another hostel (Adventure Brew). They had space in an 8 person dorm (Bs60), which was not the intended level of travel for this trip, but I happily accepted it.

I started a conversation with a German woman who agreed to watch my bags (she had also just arrived that morning) while I found something in the city to eat. That was easier said than done, but I did procure some bread rolls and eggs. The hostel closes the kitchen at 8am, however, and we were left with untoasted bread with butter, which nevertheless tasted wonderful at that juncture. At some point, I meandered upstairs with my things and napped on a couch until noon. Waking up, I then stumbled up to the top floor in search of a bathroom, where I discovered a bar with an incredible view of the city and Illumani in the distance. I spent most of the afternoon with my bird guides and laptop catching up on bird notes just enjoying the scene.

Around 3:30, I headed out to explore a bit of the city. Opposed to much of what I had heard, I quite enjoyed the city; it has a vibe and energy that were distinctly lacking in either Santa Cruz and Cochabamba. The city is vaguely European, with narrow cobbled streets. The spires of cathedrals rise to meet the apartment buildings in a battle for the skyline while the residents scuttle along tightrope-wide sidewalks. Of course, it is still Bolivia and so not nearly as polished as the cities of France or Germany or Italy; I was reminded of Budapest.

The street I was walking opened into Plaza San Francisco, where the legislature meets. The square was carpeted with pigeons and people purchased feed from vendors along the edge. A favorite trick was encouraging the pigeons to land on your arms and head. One little girl appeared quite expert in this feat. I believe I also spotted my first House Sparrow of the trip.

Girl with pigeons, La Paz

I returned to the hostel for a beer and to meet BK for dinner. We shared a round of drinks then headed off to El Tambo for supper. Ben ordered beef, while Kristina and I ordered llama, but with different sauces. Absolutely delicious.

Bird tally: 1 new

Tuesday, June 14

The plan was to wake up early and take a trufi to Miguelito on the Chapere Road. I did wake up early. I did get myself out of bed. I did put on pants and a sock. On second thought, I went back to bed. After another 15 or 20 minutes, I re-motivated and was packed and out of the hotel by 7am. I took a cab to the trufi stop, and the driver was the same man as yesterday morning. It took some discussion to decide precisely where Miguelito was, but eventually I got in the minivan and was on my way (Bs35). There are markers at each KM, but these use a different system than those mentioned in my reference notes. The older system only has markers every 10 or 20km. I tried to align the old and new system when we passed KM40 around Corani. After the trancha, the old numbering system is signed more frequently at every 2KM.

I stopped around KM 95 and began to hike along the road. At this time of the morning (9am), the traffic was substantial and with the narrow shoulder, I was not entirely comfortable as oil tankers rumbled past within a foot or two. Nonetheless, the early birding was superb. I quickly spotted a Silver-beaked Tanager, Tropical Kingbird, Giant Cowbird, Dusky-green Oropendola, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Purplish Jay,  Lineated Woodpecker, Blue-capped Puffleg, Red-billed Parrot, Speckled Hummingbird, and Golden-eyed Flowerpiercer. 

Saffron-crowned Tanager (300mm, F5, 1/320, ISO-400)

As I worked up the road looking for a stone path (I found one that lead between two dilapidated houses and did not push further), a mixed flock of tanagers were feeding in the trees. These included: Saffron-crowned Tanager, Blue-winged Mountain Tanager, Bolivian Brushfinch, Chestnut-bellied Mountain-Tanager, and Blue-capped Tanager.

Blue-winged Mountain Tanager (300mm, F5, 1/320, ISO-400)

Continuing toward the Electric Substation trail, I found Blue-banded Toucanet and Inca Jay. Heading down the trail, I was treated with a Giant Cowbird actually perched on a cow.

Giant Cowbird (300mm, F7, 1/500, ISO-400)

As the trail made a sharp left turn, a pipeline from the right hillside crossed under the trail. This area was particularly birdy with Common Bush Tanager, Golden-eyed Flowerpiercer, Montane Foliage Gleaner and Sparkling Violetear. Walking back along the roadside, I spotted a Torrent Tryant on a boulder in a fast-moving stream and a pair of Red-billed Parrots flew overhead. From a turnout just after a rock face is (incorrectly) painted KM94, a female Masked Trogon flew into view and perched for several minutes.

Masked Trogon (300mm, F4, 1/160, ISO-400)

I stopped at the turnout where I was dropped off at 2:45pm and waited for a trufi or bus to Cochabamba. And waited. And waited some more. I sang to myself and used my two empty soda bottles to compose the first verse of a blues song. And then, I waited.

Unlike the morning, the traffic was much lighter in the afternoon and consisted mostly of tankers. When a trufi did pass, they inevitably gave a shake of their hand indicating they were full. This went on for two hours and I had already decided to accept a ride in any direction, so long as I returned to civilization. Eventually, a truck pulled over. The driver picks up empty bottles and drops off fresh cases of beer for the tiendas that line the road. He told me he couldn't take me to Cochabamba, but I asked if he would go as far as the trancha, which his route did, in fact, cover. Once at the trancha, I only waited five mintues for a bus from Santa Cruz to slow through the inspection point. I pointed at the bus driver and then at myself and then in the direction of Cochabamba. The driver nodded and I hauled over to the bus.

When I got in, the driver said I would have to stand as there were no seats. Not understanding the layout of the bus, I pointed towards what I thought was the stairs to the seats on the first level of the bus. The driver indicated that would be fine and I hopped over the passanger-side seat to find myself in the little cubby-hole that the drivers use for sleeping. This was just as good as a seat as far as I was concerned and I made myself comfortable.

Another gentleman eventually sat on the stairs leading up to the top level of the bus. He tried to engage me in conversation, but I understood nothing that he said. This is a strange fact of Spanish in Bolivia—it seems an all or nothing proposition. After much difficulty, I understood that he was asking from where I was coming. I replied with Miguelito, which, of course, he did not recognize. I explained a bit, which only led to the question of why I was there. Talking about Aves only led to another question of what about aves. I was lost until he pretended to take a picture.

This served as a real breakthrough, as I took out my camera and showed him some of the pictures I had taken. If this had been two days before, I would have been sunk, as few of my photos from San Miguel are of high quality. But, the photos of the tanagers and toucanet (tocancito) and woodpecker (carpenterio) were well received. Conversation proceeded with greater ease as I finally had the drift of the discussion to help me out. Even the driver started to chat about how he did not understand any of the English lyrics to his songs, but he liked them nonetheless.

It required almost 5 hours from the time I stopped birding to cover the 90 minute drive from the morning. Thinking that it would be impossible to catch the night bus to La Paz, I started to consider staying in Cochabamba for another night. Walking through the bus terminal, I noticed that busses to La Paz were running until almost midnight, leaving me plenty of time to return to the hotel, change clothes, repack my bag and grab a good final meal in the city. I decided to head back to La Estancia one last time, but noticed that Churrasco Tunari was actually open. Ben had mentioned this restaurant as having the best beef in the city so I altered my plans.

I was seated no more than 10 minutes when Ben and Kristina show up! They had been done in by the blockades and were only now leaving Cochabamba after a meal. We each ordered the Bife de Lomo and enjoyed a delicious meal. Around 9:45, we caught a cab to the bus terminal and I bought a ticket on the same bus on which they were traveling (Bs50).  

Bird Tally: 19 new, 17 lifers

Monday, June 13

[Note: it is now September, but things have finally settled enough to sort through my photos from this summer.]

I woke up at 5:30 determined to have a better go at San Miguel. Since there was an impending taxi blockade, my choice was either to leave Cochabamba early or not leave at all. I chose the former. The plan of attack was different given my unhappiness with the day before. First off, I took in a much better attitude. Second, I hired a taxi to take me to the bridge and would walk down to Liriuni on my own, hoping to catch a trufi from there. The driver was great to chat with as his Spanish was very clear and he was very understanding of my limited knowledge.

Arriving at the bridge at 6:45, I quickly became cold and walked upward toward sunlight. The birding was excellent from the start, as I located Tufted Tit-Tyrant, Black-hooded Sierra Finch, Grey-bellied Flowerpiercer, Cochabamba Mountain-Finch, Rusty-vented Canastero, Ash-breasted Sierra Finch, Rufous-bellied Saltator,  Bar-winged Cinclodes, Golden-billed Saltator, Cliff Flycatcher, Sparkling Violetear, Brown-capped Whitestart, Sierran Eleania, Black-winged Ground-Dove, Grey-hooded Parakeet, Mountain Caracara, Giant Hummingbird, Rufous-sided Warbling-Finch, Rufous-collared Sparrow, White-tailed Hawk, Bolivian Warbling-Finch, Band-tailed Sierra Finch, Hooded Siskin [NB: After sorting through my photographs, a bird I had initially considered a wren was actually a Puna Tapaculo, a very pleasant surprise]. I saw many of the same birds as I walked from the bridge (KM 461) to Liriuni (KM 451). Between KM 455 and KM457 there are numerous turnouts and the hillsides were fully blanketed in flowers yielding numerous Giant Hummingbirds and Sparkling Violetears. Near the bottom of the road, I picked up  Ringed Warbling-Finch, Paramo Seedeater, Baywing, and Chiguanco Thrush.

With little traffic, ample turnouts, and trails cut by herders with their llama, horses, cattle and alpacas, the walk down was an enjoyable hike, made more so by the yellows, oranges, pinks, purples and scarlets that painted the hills. At Liriuni, I walked down the turnoff toward the river hoping to find a Bolivian Blackbird, but they were not to be found. A number of families were doing their wash in the river, however.

Another Bolivian travel adventure ensued as the taxi drivers had organized a blockade of Cochabamba to protest new laws limiting the importation of old automobiles. A taxi from Liriuni (Bs30) got me as far as the main road between Cochabamba and La Paz. From there, I walked 4 or 5 km toward Cochabamba before getting past the last of the blockade. A taxi (Bs30) then got me the rest of the way to the hotel.

For a change of pace, I had dinner at Casa de Campos, also on Boulevard Recoleta. My waiter was quite taken with my smart-phone “Que lindo” and did not hesitate to ask for the chance to play with it. Google maps with its GPS was the most intriguing as he naturally used it to locate his home. He started to call over other waiters to show off his new toy. I knew a question was coming and I fully dreaded it, hoping it could be avoided. Of course, he eventually asked how much it cost. I grudgingly and somewhat guiltily replied $200, maybe equal to what he makes in a month. I ordered a plate of food which actually turned out to be a mountain of beef, chicken legs, hot dogs, chorizo, morcillo, and an assortment of offal. I knew something was wrong when I tasted the chalkiness of liver.

Bird Tally: 14 new, 14 lifers.

Sunday, June 12

The day started early as I hired a taxi to take me to the San Miguel Polyepsis forest (see map under location). We first stopped at the turn off for Liriuni where a Giant Hummingbird was active and a White-browed Chat-Tyrant skulked through the brush. A second stop a few kilometers further up offered a Chiguanco Thrush, a nosiy Grey-headed Parakeet and a female Red-tailed Comet. At the bridge (KM 461), I found Ash-breasted Sierra Finch, Grey-bellied Flowerpiercer, White-winged Black-Tyrant (female), Tufted Tit-Tyrant, Greenish Yellow-Finch, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Bar-winged Cinclodes, White-winged Cinclodes, and Baywing,

Admittedly, this was a frustrating day of birding that seemed much worse than it was. I was having trouble with every aspect: locating birds, focusing, and metering correctly. Given the notoriety of the site, I expected to load up my lifer list, but the warnings that both abundance and diversity are low should have lowered my expectations. I also was not a particularly happy renting a taxi for the day. When we stopped, the driver would amp up his music, which I am sure was not good for the birding. In addition, his taste in music was awful. More importantly, having a driver waiting for me made me feel rushed. I really enjoying birding at a slow pace, but the knowledge that I was paying by the minute ruined the experience.

The most interesting part of the day had nothing to do with birds. Pushing on past the bridge, we came upon a Feria for a small Indian village of maybe 10 stone huts at roughly 4000 meters. The setting was beautiful. The women all wear traditional clothing with wide-brimmed hats to block out the sun (I wonder why men are not similarly capped?). I had not eaten breakfast and asked a women if I could buy some of her food. I ended up with a plate of roadside llama meat that had been smoked dry. While I ate under a blue tarp, an older woman pulled llama cuts from a plastic sack and went about reducing the legs and hind-quarters to edible size for her stew.

After a nap, I met up with BK for dinner at La Estancia, then watched the last 5 minutes of the Mavs-Heat game.

Bird Tally: 11 new, 11 lifers.

Saturday, June 11

I awoke around 7am to the bus arriving in Cochabamba's bus terminal. It was colder outside the bus than inside. Having no clue where I was or even where I was staying, I accepted a ride from the first taxi that arrived and use the GPS on my phone to get us to the hotel (Anteus) suggested by the hostel owner in Santa Cruz. They had a room (Bs240) and I took the first few hours of the day taking a shower and washing my hiking clothes.

I spent the rest of the day exploring the city by moving from plaza to plaza. In the alley behind Iglesia San Juan de Dios in Plaza 14 de Septiembre I found a store that sold items produced by Bolivian artisans. Every article had a tag that included the materials used in its production and the name of the artist. I purchased a handmade hat, which will surely come in handy in La Paz, and two scarves. On the walk back, I noticed a White-faced Ibis, a flock of Andean Gulls, and a man in his underwear in the river.

After a well-earned nap, I went to dinner at La Estancia, a restaurant mentioned in the trip notes of other birders. I enjoyed an incredible Argentinian steak (Bs90) and a very nice salad bar.

Bird Tally: 2 new, 1 lifer.

Friday, June 10

 Friday, June 10

I finally made it to Jardin Botanico. Since it doesn't open until 9am, I enjoyed a slow breakfast and negotiated a taxi fare of Bs25, arriving just before 10am. This is truly an amazing birding area given its proximity to the city. Not quite Parque Metropolitano in Panama City, but nevertheless, quite good.

The laguna was not particularly populated, but I did see my first Least Grebe, Wattled Jacana and Common Moorhen of the trip. Rufous-browed Peppershrike and Rufous Hornero were in the trees and hillside. I started to walk toward the Moorhen for a better view when I noticed an Aligator (not a log) just to its right. A Roadside Hawk was perched beautifully at eye-level and did not flush while I shot closer and closer. A Yellow-tufted Woodpecker perched exposed in the top branches of a tree, while a House Wren moved through the middle branches.

I meandered through the extensive trail system that crosses varied types of forest habitats. This variety made the garden highly productive throughout the day. Along the fence-line, I found Thrush-like Wren, a female Purple-throated Euphonia, Sayaca Tanager, and Hooded Tanager. Moving into the woods, Woodcreeper became abundant, including Straight-billed Woodcreeper. An opening in the canopy was the perfect setting for a Black-fronted Nunbird to perch in the sunlight. 

Black-fronted Nunbird (300mm f/4 1/400, ISO200)

This section of trail held Creamy-bellied Thrush, which given my previous misses I had started to believe would be a bird I missed to migration. I also found the male Purple-throated Euphonia and Tropical Parula. Perhaps the most interesting bird of the day was the Red-billed Scythebill, who quite actively picked way at tree trunks. The low brush yielded Black-capped Antwren and Bolivian Slaty-Antshrike. Other birds included Silver-beaked Tanager, Fawn-breasted Wren. The day ended with a better shot of a Purplish Jay, Crested Oropendola and Yellow-chevroned Parakeet.

Red-billed Scythebill (300mm f/4  1/400, ISO200)

I returned to the hostel via a trufi taxi and then set off for the bus terminal. Bus terminals are undoubtedly the hardest part of traveling in a foreign language. I was not entirely sure what kind of ticket I had purchased, but I reiterated “cama, cama, cama” as often as possible. I came to expect an old school bus, but was pleasantly surprised that I actually had purchased a place on a cama bus (Bs70). The rumors about how cold they become were true, and every Bolivian was prepared with a blanket. I threw my fleece over me, pulled my hat down, turned on some music and slept fairly well over the course of the night.

Bird tally: 15 new, 11 lifers

Thursday, June 9

I spent a leisurely morning walking around La Vispera for the final time hoping to photograph a Planalto Hermit, which I had seen on several occasions, but hadn't caught on film. He arrived right outside my door, but yet again, my camera wasn't fast enough. I did catch another glimpse of a Glittering-bellied Emerald and a female Red-tailed Comet. Some Purplish Jays were also in the trees across from my door, but this too has been an elusive species to photograph well. In addition to standard fare of Rufous-bellied Thrush, Saffron Finch and Rufous Hornero, I spotted a Stripe-crowned Spinetail. I also found a small pond on the property, which had Rufous-crowned Sparrow and Black-capped Warbling-Finch in the surrounding brush. This was an area I wish I had discovered earlier.

Stripe-crowned Spinetail (300mm, f/6.3 1/250, ISO200) 

I also had to say farewell to the perros that roamed La Vispera. While all three were very nice dogs, the young female was very playful, once stealing a gourd from a farm basket and attacking it with zeal. Unfortunately, I left my cowboy hat laying around and she incited the other dogs into an active game of tug-of-war. The hat survived. 

Dog at La Vispera (55mm, f/7.1 1/200, ISO200)

The shared taxi back to Santa Cruz was a relatively uneventful ride, though the views along the river are truly stunning. Santa Cruz was waiting with the first rain of the trip. I was originally hoping for an easy night of looking through bird photos, but ended up going to a kareoke bar with Joe, an Australian guy I had met on my first stay in Santa Cruz, a Dane and two young Aussie women. The night ended after several Huari and a rousing rendition of Mr. Jonew with me teaching a German how to play the guitar using the chords from Wagon Wheel. Interesting night to say the least.

Bird Tally: 2 new, 2 lifers

Thursday, June 9

Wednesday, June 8

The day started clear from the outset. Getting started at 6:45, I quickly birded the grounds of La Vispera. The usual suspects were found (House Wren, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Eared Dove, Saffron Finch), but it was decidedly less birdy than the day before. Working the hillside, I found a White-bellied Tyrannulet, Purple-throated Euphonia, and Red-tailed Comet. After breakfast, I decided to walk the Pipeline Road rather than the valley behind La Vispera since the mountains north of Samaipata had deciduous trees, while the latter seemed to have mostly scrub vegetation. Walking toward Samaipata, the bushes along the dirt road were quite active with Black-capped Warbling-Finch, Sayaca Tanager, a female White-tipped Plantcutter, and Ringed Warbling-Finch.

Instead of turning left toward the town square, I headed right to explore a less developed road. After a short distance, a Yellow-and-Blue Tanager was singing and quite happy to let me approach closely. Continuing around the east side of town (toward Santa Cruz), a large flock of Guira Cuckoo moved through the trees and Blue-and-white Swallows swooped about. At a patch of cone-flowers, I had a wonderful view of a Glittering-bellied Emerald, which I had seen previously at La Vispera, but could not successfully photograph. Immediately after the Emerald departed, a Slender-tailed Woodstar arrived.

Glittering-bellied Emerald (300mm, f/4 1/1600, ISO200)

Slender-tailed Woodstar (300mm f/4 1/1600, ISO200)

Blue-and-Yellow Tanager (300mm f/4 1/640, ISO400)

Seeing the pipeline on the north side of the main highway from Santa Cruz, while driving into Samaipata, I turned north down a dirt road by the stone-cutter, toward the evangelical church. I then crossed a river and headed toward the mountain ranges of Amboro reasoning that this would lead me to Pipeline Road. Not to ruin the ending, but I was mistaken. Although this area was not described in any of the trip notes I possessed, it nevertheless turned into a fairly successful hike. Since this is the dry season, the river bed was barren, leaving a slow-moving creek or small ponds with lily-pads. The birds along this stretch of river included Epaulet Oriole and Picui Ground-Dove.

The road turned right toward the mountains and a group of three workers. I held up my camera to inspect a pair of Burrowing Owls, which attracted their attention. They asked if they could look through the camera to see the birds and not without hesitancy, handed over $3000 of equipment. They seemed to enjoy the opportunity and informed me these were known as Palomas. The road then swung left and upward with large, and usually beautiful, haciendas along the right side. Although the hillside below the road was mostly untouched scrub-oak, there was no bird activity.

Climbing steadily into the direction of the sun, I started to tire during the early afternoon. I stopped for lunch at a junction. A road branched off towards the right and up a ridge. I decided to continue straight on the dirt road, which leveled from that point forward. Soon, the main dirt road came to a fork. A small path branched left up and over a small hill. A barbed-wire gate blocked this direction. To the right, a dirt path lead toward the mountains of Amboro. I turned down this road. Almost immediately, the birding improved: an Apolomado Falcon passed overhead. With thicker vegetation on both sides, activity was evident. Three to five large black birds that behaved like Chachalaca flushed from the trees, but I was unable to make a better identification. Several Two-banded Warbler were also spotted along this path. An Andean Condor circled in front of the raising moon.

The path began to descend into the valley. After losing elevation, the path made a steep sharp turn toward the right, then again to the left. At this second turn, the path flattened, sun flooded in and birds filled the trees. At this spot alone, I saw Tataupa Tinamou (I will forever regret that the lens was in MF, so a blurry picture of its end is all I managed from a view of him crossing the path in broad daylight), Two-banded Warbler, Tropical Parula, Black-backed Grosbeak, Blue-crowned Trogon, Saffron-billed Sparrow, Brown-capped Whitestart, Blue-and-Yellow Tanager, and a stunning display by an Olivaceous Woodcreeper.

Blue-headed Trogon (300mm f/4 1/800, ISO200)

Olivaceous Woodcreeper (300mm f/4 1/4000, ISO4000)

Returning toward Samaipata, the dirt track yielded more Two-banded Warblers and Squirrel Cuckoo. The main road produced a flock of Purplish Jay in the trees and Mitred Parakeet overhead, along with numerous Turkey and Black Vultures. Many Epaulet Oriole and Baywing were located near (and in) the ponds before the river, while a Vermillion Flycatcher was perched on the highline wires. A Grey-necked Woodrail was skulking through the river and many passerines (Blue-and-Yellow Tanager, Epaulet Oriole, Saffron Finch, Great Kiskadee) could be seen along the banks.

Ben, Kris and I enjoyed pizza and ice cream for dinner as my last night in Samaipata.

Bird Tally 38 total, 19 new, 18 lifers

Tuesday, June 7

The morning broke with heavy clouds, so I remained in bed until 7:15. I agreed to meet BC at 8:30 for breakfast before we headed of the El Fuerte, the ruins just east of Samaipata. This left about an hour to explore the grounds for the first time, as we arrived too late to engage in much birding the day before. Working from the field between my casa and the tea area, I found Bananaquit, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Red-crested Finch, and Saffron Finch. The parque and hillside behind the main building we exceptionally active with Golden-billed Saltator (the white supercilliary beginning at the eye was diagnostic, but the beak was decidedly dusky rather than golden), Ultramarine Grosbeak, House Wren, Black-backed Grosbeak, White-tipped Plantcutter, Blue-and-Yellow Tanager, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Hooded Siskin, Eared Dove, Black-capped Warbling-Finch, White-bellied Hummingbird, and Rufous-browed Peppershrike.

Red-crested Finch (300mm f/4 1/250, ISO400)

Ultramarine Grosbeak (300mm f/4 1/200, ISO400)

After breakfast, we went to the Museo El Fuerte (nothing interesting to see) and then a taxi to the actual ruins (Bs50). Numerous Turkey and Black Vultures circled as well as a Southern Caracara. The wind kept most birds at bay and there were very few singing. The woods behind the ruins offered two surprises: Variable Antshrike and Two-banded Warbler. The walk back to Samaipata yielded Mitred Parakeet and White-and-blue Swallow.

We returned to La Vispera around 3:30 and ordered lunch. The food is prepared fresh, and in large part from products grown on the farm. One of the women who run the kitchen brought out a bowl to hand-pick greens and edible flower petals from the garden. In addition, there is a traditional adobe-stone oven where they had just finished baking various rolls. This all takes time and we were duly warned of their slow-food philosophy when we checked in. We embraced it, drying ourselves in the sun, chatting and strolling around the grounds. Given the late hour at which we finished eating (5:30), I decided to skip a the eventual trip to town for dinner and instead purchase some of the bread-goods and a small bottle of wine to take back to my room. A well-deserved and well-savored hot shower kicked off the evening festivities of identifying my photos and listening to music.

Bird tally: 23 total, 17 new, 14 lifers

Monday, June 6

I left the hostel and walked to the taxi stand for shared taxis to Samaipata (Omar Chavez and Oguin), about a 20 minute walk. The wait for the cab to fill up was fairly short. After 20km, we were greeted with a Bolivian-style highway blockade by the residents of LaGuardia who deemed their elected politicians unfit for governance and expressed their beliefs by fucking up my show. After numerous dirt roads, including driving in a river (according to my Google GPS), we made it to Samaipata nearly 6 hours later, having left at 11am. The ride normally takes 2.5 hours. Pulling myself away from Jane Eyre (my first attempt at an ebook using the Kindle app on my phone), I was shocked by the beauty of the mountains. I celebrated this beauty through a nap. The other passengers were a German couple, one of whom spent many years in Madison because his father was an economics professor, and a Swiss construction worker. The Germans spoke English and German, while the Swiss only spoke French. Thus, for all of us to converse we were forced to use Spanish, which worked quite well. I understood them much better than actual Spanish speakers.

The German couple (Ben and Kristina, BK) were also staying at La Vispera, a stunningly beautiful farm about one-half mile outside of town. The loft I originally requested was not available, so I was put in a small, but quaint room with a double-bed and a private bathroom (Bs140). This is undeniably the best place I have stayed while traveling in Latin America to bird. After settling into our respective accommodations, the three of us went into town for a very tasty dinner. A bottle of wine, three mains with salads and three desserts totaled Bs220. We also met an Aussie and Englishwoman who met while traveling in Buenos Aires and have become a couple.

View from La Vispera (18mm f/8 1/250, ISO100)

Bird tally: two Brooklyn birds to the residents of LaGuardia

Sunday, June 5

The day started at 5:30 and I was in a cab to Las Lomas by 6am. Of course, it was completely overcast; quite poor light for birding, but the effect of cobalt-blue cloud cover over the sand dunes was spectacular. I was the only soul until 11am and real crowds only started to arrive once I was hiking out around 2pm. 

Las Lomas de Arena (21mm f/9 1/250, ISO100)

View of Las Lomas de Arena (28sec)

I was greeted by Southern Lapwing, Roadside Hawk, American Kestrel, Eared Dove, and Chopi Blackbird on the grassy plain between the park entrance and the path to the dunes. As the road bent to the right, numerous Smooth-billed Ani were calling. This path was very productive, including Rufous Hornero, Burrowing Owl, Red-legged Seriema, Picui-Ground Dove, White-eyed Parakeet, Guira Cuckoo, Buff-throated Woodcreeper, Plush-crested Jay, Squirrel Cuckoo, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Southern Caracara and Saffron Finch. Reaching the dunes and walking to the right towards the lagoon, I found White-necked Stilt. I aimless strolled and noticed a second laguna behind the main dune. The pond and the muddy scrub were very productive: Brazil Duck, Ringed Teal, White-faced Duck, Cocoi Heron, Limpkin, Whistling Heron, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron (juvenile), Turkey Vulture, Yellowish Pipit, Kiskadee, and Saffron Finch. 


(NB: I did not identify the Buff-throated Woodcreeper until I sorted through my photographs after returning to Texas. At the time, I suspected a Buff-throated, but was holding out hope that it was a new species. But, the guide I had used to identify Buff-throated while in Panama was quite dated. Since then, the Cocoa Woodcreeper (X. susarrens ) of Central America and northern South America has been split from Buff-throated (X. guttarus). Thus, I renamed my old Buff-throated pics as Cocoa, I did get a new species, after all. I also noticed an icterid I had identified as a Chopi Blackbird had a faint rusty cap that was visible with its head positioned at several angles. Hence, I could add Chestnut-capped Blackbird to the list. Similarly, a bird I had identified as a pipit was actually a female Spectacled Tyrant with a very inconspicuous eye-ring).

Southern Caracara (300mm f5.6 1/1000, ISO200)

On the hike back, a Red-legged Seriema was poking around a garden patio. The path had many of the same birds as the walk in, but a pair of Thrush-like Wrens were singing on the return, as well as a noisy Green-cheeked Parakeet. There is a creek that runs along the edge of the Chaco plain after the entrance that yielded Roadside Hawk, Limpkin and Green-barred Woodpecker. I walked to the actual park entrance in order to catch a Microbus (#21, Bs3) back to Santa Cruz and found White-banded Mockingbird. The Microbus took me as far as the third ring road around Santa Cruz. I got off at the Hipermarket Sud and walked to the hostel (about 30 minutes) with a stop for a fried chicken dinner.

Red-legged Seriema (300mm f/4 1/250, ISO100)

That evening, four of us (Englishwoman, Brazilian and an Aussie who had just arrived) walked to the center for dinner and a beer. The Brazilian told a story that made about as much sense as chicken soup at a whorehouse (you really had to be there for that one).

Bird tally: 37 total, 27 new, 23 lifers

Saturday, June 4

The original plan was to visit the Botanical Garden, but it is closed on weekends. This was a big loss in my opinion and it is not clear that I will return to Santa Cruz in order to bird this spot. I also passed on visiting Las Lomas de Arena since the forecast called for rain. I slept in, which was well deserved after my flight and rum, and of course awoke to perfectly blue skies. Instead of birding, a small group (2 Canadian friends, 2 Welsh sisters and an Englishwoman) went to the market. I purchased a woven llama-yarn satchel to use as a makeshift camera bag for day trips. After returning, I spent the last hour of daylight strolling through Parque Urbano where I found Sayaca Tanager, Great Kiskadee, Saffron Finch, and Rufous Hornero. That evening, a large group went to the friendly between Bolivia and Paraguay.

Rufous Hornero (300mm f/4 1/320, ISO 400)

Bird tally: 4 total, 4 new, 2 lifers

Friday, June 3

Arrived in Santa Cruz from New York via Miami and La Paz on a red-eye flight. The trip was not entirely uneventful. The plane lost all power while leaving the gate in Miami. Undaunted, we pressed on without official explanation from the pilot. I did not actually consider the entry requirements for Bolivia and thus did not have any of the proper documentation: no entry visa, no yellow fever vaccination, no passport photograph, etc. This was not a problem as I did have $135 in cash to pay for a five-year visa. I took a cab for 50Bs to Jodanga, where a private double room (Bs170) in the hostel was ready. After a short nap, I walked to the city center to purchase a plug adapter. In the main square, the feeding of 200 Rock Doves was interrupted by the swooping arrival of a Roadside Hawk. On the way back, I noticed two Guira Cuckoo in Parque Urbano. There was a BBQ at the hostel that evening and spent the night drinking rum and cokes, while playing cards with various Canadians, Australians, English, Welsh and a Dane.

Bird tally: 3 total, 3 new, 2 lifers

Bolivia, June 2011

I will be in Bolivia from June 3 to June 28 attempting to find at least 200 new birds while seeing one of the most dramatic countries in the world. The plan is to start in Santa Cruz at 400m (1365'), move up to Samaipata at 1700m (5580'), then Cochabamba at 2570m (8445'), and finally to La Paz at 3640m (11940') and its surrounding areas, including La Cumbre at over 4700m (15420').

In case anyone stumbles across these postings looking for direction on a birding trip, I have included prices for most services like accommodation, transportation, etc in Bolivianos (at the time of my trip $1=Bs7). When listing birds, lifers are denoted at bold and italics; new birds for the trip are denoted in bold.